lights, colds, and suspicion
by SilverPedals1402
Summary: When the armory is under construction, Howard decides to visit. As he visits he comes at a time Tony's identity as iron man is a stake from his father. Horrible title, horrible summary, Possible OOCish charactors... WARNING! Contains sneezing swinging lights. Meant to be humorous


**Ok so i thought i'd try another one shot. It's actually pretty long, but still a one shot. i think... okay so i was up ALL night working on this. Yet i still think it was horrible. BUT i think this one will work out better. Charactors are OOCish a tiny bit, but i hope not a lot. Slight Pepperony... Face it, in all my stories there will be some sort of Pepperony. So deal with it. This was just an idea that popped into my head at 2 o'clock in the morning so please forgive grammar mistakes. spelling as well. So just a fair warning i dont think i explained everything i wanted to in the story, so sorry. Just read and i'll rant later. Hope you like it!**

"Tony what are you doing up there?" Rhodey asked his friend who at the moment was doing something that included being up in the tangles of wires and vents up in the ceiling that Tony had made when he updated the armory. It wasn't completely finished so it literally was only just vents, wires, hanging lights, and of course the actual ceiling.

"The lighting isn't right. Something with the wires being misplaced." Tony mumbled back just loud enough for he friend to hear him.

Tony had used the armor to help him get up to the wires better and had him self settled on a large vent. He knew it was stable so he didn't worry about slipping and falling. He just went around his business with his wire cutter and wrench and other types of tools that he may have needed. His armored backpack he seemed to favor when he was at a high enough distance to hurt himself if he fell, but short enough of a distance to fall to not have time to use Extremis to armor up, was up with him on the light. It wasn't heavy enough to make it crash and the light seemed sturdy enough.

"So couldn't you fix it at a more convenient time? Your dads on his way here!" Rhodey shouted up at him.

"_What!_" Tony cried out loudly. "How does he know of this armory?"

"He thinks it's your lab. But I...uh I sorta accidentally told him..." Rhodey said sheepishly.

Tony froze what he was doing and peeked his head into sight of his friend and stared with wide eyes at him before continuing. "How could you possible do that?"

Rhodey laughed nervously. "Remember that one time you forgot to tell me and Pepper that you were going to fight Aim..." Tony nodded and Rhodey kept on talking. "Well nobody knew where you were at, so me and Pepper were at the house when Howard was visiting, well everyone was throwing around ideas to where you were and I mentioned the lab."

Rhodey paused hearing a sound that sounded a lot like footsteps. Faster than before he continued. "He asked where and I worried about what you were doing and that you may have been in trouble, I sorta answered him...So he demanded to see it. I said to wait until today to come for it was a total mess and it takes a few days to clean."

Tony sighed. "Couldn't you have called?"

"No! Howard was sitting right next to me and your phone was on the table!"

"So then you should have called the armor."

"How? Your the one that wants to keep iron man a secret from your father. Not me. He knew your phone was here so how else do I get a hold of you?"

"A second phone?"

"Not all excuses work you know." Rhodey said just as the door opened and Rhodey spun ready for Howard to be standing at the door. But no it was actually only Pepper.

Rhodey relaxed and looked up at Tony, but he'd already saw Pepper and had began to work more on his wiring.

"Why are you even redoing that part of the armory?" Rhodey said as Pepper took her stance next to Rhodey.

"Like I said before, lighting problem. In multiple spots. When that happens, it's best just to redo it all and do it better. Also this new lighting system should be energy saving since it already uses up a bunch of energy already." Tony called down.

"So how is everyone?" Pepper asked awkwardly.

"Stressed." Rhodey said.

"Perfect, Pep, just perfect." Tony said with sarcasm obvious in his tone.

"Whats wrong?"

Rhodey walked over and shut down the computers completely and put all armors up and away. His own was stored in a back room and he locked it. He finally replied to Pepper as he returned to his spot looking up at Tony's feet that had begun to hang on the edge of the vent he was on.

"Howard's on his way and it was sort my fault so Tony's mad at me."

A loud bang and a shock sound went off and the sound of a surprised shout sounded and the two looked back up, Tony's feet were gone and so was the armor, with was the loud banging sound. It had fell to the ground. Rhodey kicked it to the side and voted it safe to be out in the open even if it was the armor. It was hidden pretty well other wise tons of people would have found out about Tony being Iron man.

"Tony are you okay? You sounded hurt." Pepper called up.

"Fine. Just I little burn." Tony replied as his head appeared where they could see him. He smiled nervously.

Pepper and Rhodey narrowed their eyes. "Don't you lie to us Tony. That never ends well. EVER." Pepper said.

"No I'm serious. Its fine. See?" Tony pulled his hand over the ledge and let it hang so it was closer to the two teens that were on the ground. He was right. It had only been little. Just on his palm. About the size of a penny. Or a nickle.

"Then what were you nervous about?" Rhodey asked now suspicious.

"I put the wrong cords together." He said. "Its so dark up here."

"You should have brought a light up there, genius." Rhodey said.

It went into completely silence except for the movements when Tony adjusted himself to fix his mistake. The silent breathing was nerve wreaking for both Pepper and Rhodey who had nothing to do but worry about what would happen when Howard came in. Would he see something on Iron man that they forgot to hide? Would he see that they were lying about it being a lab and actually being an armory. Technically it was a lab, but that was mainly in the other added on rooms.

Clinking was all they heard. Pepper had moved on and started to play around with one of Tony's inventions. It was supposed to be a food modulator, to make the nastiest food taste good, but I turned out to only change the color of objects then back to its original color if it was assigned to it. She messed around with that while Rhodey started a small talk with Tony.

As soon as Rhodey heard footsteps he quickly called up to Tony. "Your father's here! Get down!"

"What I'm not doing anything wrong."

"No, but I think you'd want to be ground level with your dad you haven't seen in two years." Rhodey pointed out.

"Oh...right." Tony said.

He stood up on his vent that was holding him and threw his tools down in the opposite direction of Rhodey lazily. The lights were slightly lower to the ground so Tony wouldn't get hurt as much if he jumped off a light than he would if he jumped all the way from the vents. So he jumped to the nearest light. It swung back and forth and lights that were on, flickered. **(The lights I'm talking about is the likes that are in most gyms-i think-so strong cables connected to the four corners of a rectangle light. So sturdy enough to hold Tony.) **He was on his stomach and was waiting for it to stop swinging.

But before that could happen, Howard Stark walked in for the door was unlocked since he was expected. He looked around noticing the tools messily placed on the floor most likely dropped, and the two teens standing there below a swinging light.

Tony upon hearing the door curled up as small as he could not wanting to be known, and questioned, how on earth he got up there for there was no ladder in sight. Tony's last ladder broke and he hadn't bought a new one, which he should've. He held on as tight as he could to the small hitches in the back to the light.

"Nice clean up." Howard commented.

"Uh...I told you it would take a couple of days." Rhodey laughed nervously.

He understood that Tony couldn't be seen being up there with no ladder insight so, he kept his gaze down and hoped that Pepper did the same as well. He also hoped that Tony got that idea, which shouldn't be a problem cause he is Howard's son after all. He was a genius...most of the time.

"Where's Tony? I thought he was with you?"

"He is." "He was." Rhodey and Pepper say at the same time.

"Pepper don't you remember he had to get a new _ladder_ cause his old one broke." Rhodey commented hinting at the part with the ladder for Tony needed one and kept forgetting or letting it pass.

Howard's eyebrows furrowed together in suspicion as he remembered just how bad Rhodey was at lying. And by the looks of it Pepper wasn't any better. "What are you two up to?"

"Nothing!" They said in unison.

Pepper laughed. "Nothing at all Mr. Stark. Just hanging in the lab! Nothing more! Just hanging...you know. Alone. With out Tony...bored to death..."

"Pepper!" Rhodey snapped scared that the cover was blown that they actually were hiding something.

Now suspicious as ever, Howard looked around to see what they could possibly need to hide from him in his own son's lab. He looked side to side, up and down. He noticed both a swinging light that he already noticed and a backpack with the oddest arm slots. He began to walk towards it but the light just made the weirdest sound ever.

The light just sneezed.

Howard turned around to the light and narrowed his eyes. Lights never sneeze. When he looked at the other two, they had paled skin and Pepper seemed to be shaking at the knees. None of them showed any signs that it was them that sneezed.

"What was that?" He asked. Just in time for another sneeze. Then a loud thud.

Pepper scanned her mind for an excuse for a sneezing light. There wasn't much you could do about that if you didn't see it coming in the first place. _Tony couldn't you pick a better time to sneeze?_ Then the idea hit her. Not literally, but she had an idea.

She began to laugh as real as she could make it and playfully punched Rhodey. Earning her a confused look from Rhodey and a 'really is that necessary?' look from Howard.

"Jeez Rhodey! I didn't know you were that good at being a ventriloquist!" She laughed again. "You just get funnier and funnier! Howard I can't believe that you thought it was the light!"

Rhodey laughed as well not as convincing as Pepper, but he wasn't forewarned that he was all of a sudden a master ventriloquist now. "Yeah, I've been practicing."

"I'm going to call him." Howard said ignoring their odd excuse for the sneezing light. Some crazy thought entered his head and he thought that for a moment his son was up on the light.

"No!" They both cried out together.

"Why not?" He asked a slight smile forming. "Afraid it will give up something? Like your secret your trying to hide from me?"

In panic they didn't know what to do. Cause this time Tony did have his phone and Howard was already dialing Tony's number that hadn't been added on to his contact list. New number.

Tony in panic shut off his phone which made him let go of one hand that was holding on the small hitches in the light. That made his slip backwards and he feet now dangled dangerously low for his taste of comfort. The light made a clinking sound and a bang as the uneven weight on the light caused the light to tilt and start pulling out of the wall.

Howard upon hearing the noise and the voice mail, hung up and looked up. Luckily for Tony, Howard had been at a odd angle so he couldn't see the feet dangling out of the light. But what could possibly make the sneezing light fall? Howard watched as Pepper and Rhodey looked up as well horror stuck on their face.

Howard moved over to them. "I knew something was up."

He too then saw his son hanging from the lamp it would have been funny if there was a ladder and a nice cushion to catch him if he fell, but there was no sign of a ladder of any sort of device that would help him up there. The only thing other than the backpack was the tools, which most certainly did not help his son get on a light. What he was doing up there was a mystery and by the lies Rhodey and Pepper were telling it wasn't that he was up there they were trying to hide, it was how he got up there.

"How did he get up there."

"Gymnastics...?" Pepper suggested.

"Why would he do gymnastics?"

"I don't know. He's Tony. Anything could happen. I came in here he was already up there."

"Rhodey what did he use to get up there?" Howard asked turning to Rhodey.

Rhodey held up a finger waiting for an excuse to show up and when none did he put his finger down in defeat. Tony had to give up his secret. "Tony just tell-"

He didn't get to finish for Tony purposely let go, yelling, "Look out below!"

Rhodey and Howard lunged forward to catch him the best they could. Tony swayed before he regained his balance and smiled his cheeks flushed from the work he put into keeping up there.

"Tell me what?" Howard asked once he knew his son was alright.

Tony sniffed and sneezed again. "I think I caught a cold."

"Not that. The explanation to how you got up there."

Tony paled and looked at his father. Then something came up in his mind. _Aha! _"Come."

He gestured for his father to follow him. He led him to his inventions closet and eyed what he wanted. "Here it is!"

He lifted up a jet pack that was supposedly able to control the height you flew by using different power of jet repulsion. It was based of the iron man's boot jet technology, but it was red like fire and in a jet pack.

"You seriously used a jet pack? Then tell me why it was put away." Howard said.

"I told Rhodey to put it away cause I wouldn't need it to get down cause Pepper was coming back with a _ladder_, but when she heard you were coming she stopped what she was doing right then and there and ran here." Tony explained.

Pepper glared at Tony. Howard turned to Pepper. "Why so excited to see me that you forgot the ladder?"

"I didn't forget it...just didn't feel like it cause I was mad Tony. Not no more though." Pepper replied still glaring at Tony.

"Tony why is the jet pack pink?" Howard asked flatly.

Tony's face turned cherry red. "I happen to like the color pink."

Rhodey chuckled knowing why. Howard didn't really understand yet that his son was in love with Pepper, but he had a pretty good idea the jet pack wasn't for Tony, but for Pepper. There he realized it was for Pepper. So he took it out of Tony's hands and put it into Peppers arms. "I think this was meant for you."

Tony looked as shocked as ever. "W-what...What?" Tony stammered.

"You know you like her Tony." Rhodey said loud enough for Pepper to hear. They both blushed and Pepper gave Tony the jet pack for safe keeping.

Rhodey and Howard left knowing that it wasn't their place to be.

Now alone the two looked at their own feet nervously. Neither knew what to say.

Tony was the first to speak. Though it was in a very quiet and embarrassed tone. "I guess...i kinda do...I mean the jet pack was for you... but I was waiting til something else was made before I gave it to you..."

"Thanks. Well I like you to." She said instantly. "Which I shouldn't have said like that, but yeah...well we'll have to think of what to do about that later, we're getting you some cold medicine."

Tony had started a sneeze attack just in the middle of her talking. Hence the cold medicine. Pepper blushed again and walked out the room. Tony was frozen solid until Rhodey and his dad walked in the room.

"How it go? Did you kiss?" Rhodey asked in all out prying mode. "Are you dating? Do you love her?

"What! No I didn't kiss her and I don't know!" Tony cried out throwing his arms up in the air. "Stop prying!"

"Son calm down." Howard said as he laid a hand on Tony's shoulder.

"No you two just embarrassed me to death. Now let me vent it off. Anyways if your curious or anything she likes me too, but she said we'd work that out later." Tony said talking to himself more than anyone else.

With that he took off leaving Rhodey and his father alone. Both of them shacking in silent laughter.

"When will he learn." Rhodey said smiling.

**The ending was horrible wasn't it? I don't know i couldn't think of how to end it and it couldn't go on forever! Well i guess i could have split it into two chapters, but i'm already behind on posting, but this idea came up and i didnt want to forget it. Oh and i got the idea slightly from another fanfic that my scrambled mind cant remember right now. But the idea mostly came from there, and some where else i cant remember. Oh i forgot it takes place before Howard has stark international and of course when howard returned. after it though.**

**Oh i thought i'd say this to those of you that don't know, but the missing footage from the episode 'doomsday' the one Howard returns in, was completed and on the sight. so those of you with out the cable channel and get the episodes from the nicktoons site, the full episode is now completely online.  
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**Thanks! Sorry for the horrible story. Just need to write something to fix writers block for Armored memories. I'm currently working on the next chapter to 'Fighting til the end' for you who read it.  
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**Okay one more thing you dont have to read this, but this is just me being upset. Today i met this little girl, who's mother has cancer and lost all her hair to the medical theropies, and she(the mom) has three kids and a husband, and her two daughters and her son shaved their own heads in honor of their mom. the Little girls name was Raven and she called me Josie, which isn't my name, but close enough, but she dragged me everywhere. I bought her some braclets and stuff and we got some snow cones at at good neighbor days. She always held my hand and always smiled and ALWAYS gave me hugs! I gave her these pretty flowers that i had and she gave them to her mom and dad. She LOVED to run around like crazy and when she asked if i wanted to play tag or pick her up or dance in a circle with her, she shook with joy! I never thought after only knowing her for only a couple of minutes me and her are already good friends. She was crying when she had to go! I felt like it too so i am letting out my saddness on here. Sorry i did say you didnt have to read that you know. But she was only 8 and she was so sweet!  
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**SO for ALL of you that have or know something with Cancer, than i wish you luck and pray you or they are ok. I really miss her and she even wanted me to come to her house and tried to give me her address that i could never remember! :( But hopefully i'll see her again next year at good neighbor days.  
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**SO REVIEW!  
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